One of my favorite films at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival was a subtle independent called THE FRONTIER. I first took interest when I heard the great Max Gail was in it. For those not familiar with his name, Gail starred in TV shows like the popular cop dramedy BARNEY MILLER, more recently on the sitcom GARY UNMARRIED, and has appeared in movies like D.C. CAB and last year’s 42. To my surprise, THE FRONTIER, while being a wonderful showcase for Max, is also a strong directorial debut for Matt Rabinowitz, who also co-wrote the film. It also boasts strong performances from newcomers Anastassia Sendyk and Coleman Kelly, who exhibit acting chops worthy of the most seasoned screen thespians. The story follows a retired teacher (played by Gail) and his son (Kelly) who are trying to salvage their damaged relationship, and the young woman (Sendyk) who becomes the catalyst that may ultimately bring them back together. It’s instantly engaging and extremely easy to relate to, regardless of whether or not you’ve been in the same scenario. Check out my interview with Matt Rabinowitz, Max Gail, Anastassia Sendyk and Coleman Kelly, followed by a solo interview with Max. My thanks to Moises Chiullan for shooting this. We’ve got links below for more information on THE FRONTIER. The movie will be shown next at The Phoenix Film Festival on April 3-10, 2014… I cannot recommend it enough.
And here’s my one-on-one chat with Max Gail – side note, I’m buddies with Adam Baldwin, who Max starred with in D.C. CAB, and I had asked him about the film, which is what the conversation at the beginning was in reference to. Max was very candid about his life and work, and I can honestly say meeting him was a treasured experience:
Visit the official website for THE FRONTIER.
LIKE the official Facebook page for the film.
Follow THE FRONTIER on Twitter as well.
The Frontier – Trailer (1080p) from It's Terrific Pictures on Vimeo.
Born and raised in Dallas, Mark has been a movie critic since 1994, with reviews featured in print, radio and National TV. In 2001 he started the Entertainment section of the Herorealm website, where he contributed film reviews and celebrity interviews until 2004. After three years of service there, he started Bigfanboy.com, which has become one of the Dallas film community's leading information websites. Bigfanboy hosts several movie screenings in the Texas area, and works closely with film and TV studios and promotional partners to host exciting events and contests. The site also features a variety of rare celebrity and filmmaker interviews, and Bigfanboy.com regularly covers the film festival circuit as well. In addition to Hollywood reporting, Mark has worked for many years as an advertising and sci-fi/comic book artist. Clients have included Lucasfilm Ltd., Topps Trading Cards, The Dallas Mavericks and The Dallas Stars. From 2002 until 2015 he managed the Dallas Comic Con, Sci-Fi Expo and Fan Days events in the DFW area. He currently catalogs rare comic books and movie memorabilia for Heritage Auctions, and runs the Dallas Comic Show conventions, but remains an avid moviegoer and cinema buff. 
